Apparatus for producing hooping effects in metal tubes of great strength



- N. E. METHLIN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING HOOPING EFFECTS IN METAL TUBES OF GREAT STRENGTH Filed July 16, 1925 d B I 1) l Mim 1 m A X' i 'I 4 ii g1 Patented Mar. 30, 1926.

UNITED STATES NICOLAS EMILIEN IVIETHLIN, 0F PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR TO SCHNEIDER PARIS, FRANCE, A JOINT-STOCK. COMPANY. I

APPARATUS For. PRODUCING noorme armors In METAL STRENGTH.

comprises in the known manner, two cross heads connected together by tie rods, be-

tween which cross heads the tube to be self hooped is held by a closing member pro-f accoinpanylng drawing presents further feavided at each end. I

In the known devices of this type, the closing members consist most frequently of cylindrical or cylindro co'nical plugs fitted in the tubes and pierced with an admission duct and an outlet duct for the liquid under pressure respectively. The whole of the length of the tubes corresponding to the length of the closing members is of necessity not acted upon by the liquid under is to say it is cut off.

In my Patent N0.'1,5 l0,654, dated June 2, 1925, there disclosed a device which 3' avoids the above inconveniences by the use the above of conical obturators; but this apparatus requires the use of plastic joints in 'comblnation with the said obturators since a jo nt cannot be secured by the simple contact between the metallic obturator and'the tube, the weight and the deformations of the latter not permitting a perfect and permanent centering of the said obturators In accordance with the present invention, mentioned inconveniences are overcome in a very simplemanner. The obturators are formed in such a manner as to present a spherical contact surface having,

practically, a simple circle of contact, Which contact circle is with the inner surface of the tube situated in the plane'of the corresponding extreme edge of the tube.

.In a practical form of construction of the lnvention, the clos ng members consist. of

to improvements in is consequently discarded, that r TUBES or GREAT Application filed July is, 1925. .sa'a no. 44,072.

balls presenting a spherical bearing surface not only to the face of the tube to be yse'lfhooped" but also to, the support taken upon the cross head'which is correspondingly hollowed out.

Together. with these spherical closing members, use is preferably made, according to the inventionof assemblinc the rods, between the erossheads,placed at the vertices 8r; CIE., OF

of equi-lateral triangles the centres of which I are on the axis of "the balls; these tie rods also bear against the cross heads through the medium of washers in the form of spher ical caps, so that the whole of the closing members and the tie rods automatically cen- I ter themselves. I The practical forin of construction ofthe invention shown, by way of example, in the is a longitudinal sectional elevavention to the "self-hooping vof a gun barrel A is shown by my ofexample.

The apparatus'comprisestwo cross heads B and C connected to each other by three tie rods D-placed, at the 'vertices of equi lateral triangles the centres of which are on, v I the longitudinal axis of the apparatus, which coincides withthe axis of the tube to be self-hooped and'the axis of the two spherical" closing members E, F. Each of these closing members makes with the tube A a circle of contact 'forined-j by a circle in theinterior of thecorresponding mouth or end face ofthe tube. I v

Une of the closing members F presses against a bearing p ate C provided on the cross head C, in which plate'is formedla corresponding hollow of spherical form; the said closing member is'rigidly attachedto a .duct F connected to the pipe G through which is supplied the liquid under pressure which fills the tube during the self-hooping operation. The closing member Eat the opposite end may press against a similar ho low formed in the cross head B.

In the practical form' of construction lod ed in the cross head 13, I? 1 shown, the joint between the closing member E and the tube A is obtained by means of a counterpressure which is greater than the selt-hooping pressure-and for this purpose the ball If) is carried in a lodgment termed in the end 72/ ot the rod of a piston H which moves in a pressure cylinder I suppiied through a duct i with a liquid or a fluid under-pressure. The ball E is pierced witha duct communicating with a pipe 6 which is connected to an apparatus for measuring and controlling the pressure dur- The deftori'nation may also be further arc- 's isted by mounting one of the cross heads 0 upon a platform C supported on a bed plate J with the interposition of balls or roilers'K. Apart from the advantages enumerated above, which the apparatus de-= scribes possesses, the latter also enables easier access 'to be obtained to the tubes while they are being treated, either "for mounting operations, or for dismounting and replacing one tube by another.

Claims; v j

1. Apparatus for subjecting tubes to hydraulic pressure comprising a pair of crossheads, and spherical members engaging said 'crossheads and the opposite ends of a tube to be treated, said members being adapted to grip and close the ends of said tube and one of said members being pro- -vided with a duct, :tor the introduction of a liquid into the tube.

Apparatus for subjecting tubes to hydraulic pressure comprising a pair of crossheads provided with spherical recess-es, tie rods connecting said crosshea-ds, spherical members extending into the recesses in said cr'ossheads and into the oppositev ends of a tube to be treated for closing the ends of said tube and supportingthe same in operative position, and means for introducing a. liquid through one of said members into said tube.

3. Apparatus of the class described comprising a pair of cro-ssheads, spherical members for closing the opposite ends of a tube to be treated, said membersbeing interposed between the ends of said tube and said crossheads, a. p1ston 111 one of said crossheads, a

piston rod for said piston, one end or said rod constituting a bearing forone of said between atube to be treated and said erossheads for closing the ends of said tube, the axes of said spherical members lying in the plane 01 the centers of said crossheads.

5. Apparatus ot the class describedconr prising a pair of crosshead's,a. piston in one of said crossheads, spherical members for closing the end of a tube to be treated, one of said spherical members having engage ment with the rod of saidpiston, a bed=plate for one of said crossheads and friction -re ducing means interposed between said bedplate and said last named cro'sshe'ad.

3. Apparatus for subjecting a tube to hydraulic pressure comprising a fixedly mounted crosshead having an opening therein, a piston in said opening, a rod for said piston, means for introducing liquid under pressure into said opening to'move said piston and rod, a second crosshead, means peraitt-ing movement of said second crosshead relative to said first named crosshead, tie

rods extending through said crossheads,

spherical bearing members interposed between said tie rods and crossheads, and spherical members for gripping and closing the ends ofsaid tube, one of said members having engagement with said rod and another of said-members haying engagementwith the second named crosshead.

'7. Apparatus for subjecting a tube to hydraulic pressure comprising'a pair of crossheads having openings therethrough,

said openings in eachcrosshead being formed at the verticesof an equilateral triangle, means engaging'said crossheads and closing the ends of 'said'tube for maintaining the latter with its longitudinal axis in alignment with the centers of saidtriangles, tie rods extending through openings, and means engaging said rods and crossheads for maintaining said first named means in engagement with said tube.

8. Apparatus for subjecting atube to hydraulic pressure comprising a pair of crossheads, means for maintaining said tube in a predetern'iined position relative to said v crossheads including tie rods engaging said crossheads and spherical members closing the. ends of said tube, and hydraulic means for pressing said members against the ends of said tubes.

j 9. Apparatus for subjecting a tube to hydraulic pressure comprising, in combination, a pair of crossheads, spherical nieinbers interposed between said crossheads and the ends of said tube to close the latter, one of said members being provided with a duct for introducing a the other of said members beingprovided with a duct leading to apparatus formeasuring and controlling. the self-hooping presliquid into the tube and sure, and means for pressing saidmeinbers against the ends of hydraulic means and a. plurality of tie rods.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

NICOLAS EMILIEN METHLIN.

said tube including v 

